I spent minutes at new ‘smart’ speed cameras and saw exactly why they’re needed
For just over a year, a new generation of speed camera equipped with state-of-the-art technology has been monitoring a busy A-road in the Midlands. These speed cameras were installed on the A449 Moss Pit in Stafford at the end of 2023. According to data obtained by BlackCountryLive, the two 'smart' AI (artificial intelligence) cameras stationed along this key route into Stafford nabbed 161 drivers from January to September last year.
This translates to a driver being caught approximately every three days. Staffordshire Police said it initially intended to deploy 20 of these new cameras, replacing the older yellow box models. The AI cameras sport a more modern design, with curved edges, slanted sides and a flash device situated next to the actual camera on a horizontal arm rather than being housed together.
Internally, the cameras are kitted out with advanced technology. Each one is armed with a radar device to precisely measure the speed of passing vehicles. Unlike traditional models, these new cameras don't depend on painted lines on the road to operate.
Instead, they use a digitally applied line to track a vehicle's speed. Images of speeding vehicles are then automatically dispatched to the Staffordshire Safer Roads Partnership's enforcement team. Here, a verification process takes place before the images are processed as evidence against drivers.
The A449 boasts two speed cameras, located just 0.2 miles apart. You'll come across them as you ascend Moss Pit, passing a quaint railway bridge and heading up the hill towards Stafford. The speed limit here is a strict 30mph, having been reduced from 40mph about half a mile southwards.
One camera keeps an eye on northbound drivers, while its counterpart monitors those heading south. It took me just three minutes to stroll between the two[1]. Even in that short span, it was evident they were doing their job - not a single driver I saw was flouting the speed limit.
Staffordshire Police have placed these cameras based on long-term data. Given the drop from a 40mph limit to 30mph just a bit further down the road, it's easy to see how speeding could become an issue here. As I retraced my steps down the A449, I spotted a souped-up Ford RS briefly accelerate, only to promptly hit the brakes upon noticing the second camera.
The same pattern seemed to hold for several other vehicles cresting the hill, including a hefty articulated lorry.
While speed cameras might be a bugbear for many motorists, it's clear they play a crucial role in curbing speed.
References
- ^ It took me just three minutes to stroll between the two (www.birminghammail.co.uk)